


Naegiri Week 2016 - RandomRex6

by RandomRex6



Category: Dangan Ronpa, Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa 3: The End of 希望ヶ峰学園 | The End of Kibougamine Gakuen | End of Hope's Peak High School
Genre: F/M, Naegiri Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-19
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-09-09 16:51:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 4,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8900158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RandomRex6/pseuds/RandomRex6
Summary: My submissions for Naegiri Week 2016. Fun times ahead!





	1. Dream

"It won't all come back at once. At first it will fade in and out. Like a dream."

That was how the memory restoration process had been described to the survivors of Class 78. The six were committed to returning themselves to their proper mental states as soon as possible. Even so, the flood of information was difficult to bear at first. Though eventually it settled into a state of peace.

At least it had for the others. Kyoko Kirigiri made herself scarce shortly after her memories had fully been restored. She knew that with her memories being more thoroughly wiped there would be a lot to take in, but one fact was sticking out like a sore thumb.

She had been dating Makoto Naegi.

It's not that this information was unwelcome. Naegi had proven helpful time and again, but dating? It wasn't something she could see herself doing.

But she could. She did. Trips to the movies. Quiet evenings at cafes. Even during their sheltered life at Hope's Peak, their relationship blossomed.

And the more she thought about it, the more it seemed so at-odds with her perceived notion of self.

"Maybe you should let him down easy."

That voice was all-too familiar. Kirigiri looked around the room for the source before she realized that this was a memory. A memory from her early days at Hope's Peak Academy.

"What would you suggest?" she said back.

The now-late Sayaka Maizono was offering counsel to her. Maizono had noted Naegi's crush on Kirigiri, and felt it appropriate to let the detective know.

"Well," the idol began, "when I've had to turn a guy down, I've tried to start by letting them know what I like about them."

"Seems counter-productive," Kirigiri retorted.

"No, no, no. I mean, like, do the 'You're great, but...', that sort of thing. But, you know, more specific than that. You still want to be his friend after, don't you?"

The world of teenage drama was almost like a foreign language to her, though Kirigiri wholeheartedly agreed with the last part of that sentiment.

"I should begin by listing his positive qualities."

Maizono nodded. "Now you're getting it! So..."

"You want me to start?" Kirigiri asked.

"You're the one who has to say it," Maizono reminded her, "but I'll give you an easy one: He's nice."

"And water is wet," Kirigiri deadpanned. "Though I see your point." She paused to think of further such qualities. "He's proven to be quite clever. More so than you might originally expect."

"I'd cut that last part out, but yeah," Maizono agreed.

"He's always willing to put himself on the line."

Maizono began to grin. "Go on..."

"He's one of the few people I trust without question," Kirigiri added. "No offense."

"None taken," Maizono assured. "Keep going."

"What else do you want me to say?" Kirigiri asked. "That I feel more confident around him? That I think he's one of the bravest people I know? That he has a smile that lights up a room and..."

Kirigiri stopped.

Maizono smiled ear to ear.

A moment went by before the detective spoke again. "Apparently you're also more clever than you let on.

"You like him," was the only reply.

A faint blush found its way to Kirigiri's face. "I suppose I do."

The blush persisted even into the present day, as Kirigiri reconciled this memory with her current situation. None of her previous statements about Naegi were no longer true.

"Kirigiri?"

This new voice was all too real. Kirigiri turned to see the person who had whipped up a maelstrom of confusion in her heart.

"Can we talk?" Naegi asked.

Kirigiri pondered this before deciding, "We probably should."

"So..." the brunette began. "We were... dating?"

"It would seem that way."

Naegi gulped. The boy was clearly nervous as one could be. To him, this was far more nerve-wracking than staring down Enoshima.

"I-I just want to say..." he began, "I don't want you to feel pressured."

Kirigiri raised an eyebrow.

"I mean, I like you. Even before we got our memories back, I really liked you."

The confession hardly came as a shock, but all the same Kirigiri chose not to respond.

"So... I'd like it if we could be together again. But I don't want you to feel like you have to just because we used to be together."

So that was it. Naegi's caring nature shone through yet again, even in impossibly strange situations.

Kirigiri smirked. "I'd like that, too."

Naegi's eyes went wide. "R-really?"

"I've had feelings of my own for some time now," Kirigiri explained. "All the restoration process has really done is allow me to better understand them."

"So, you'd be willing to go out with me? Again, anyway?" Naegi asked.

He was doing it again. Lighting up the room with a smile. And suddenly it just made sense.

"For a given value of 'go out' given the circumstances, but, yes."

It would be cruel to toss such a relationship aside after all. It was the kind of thing dreams were made of.


	2. Resist

Man's Greatest Ambition.

Such a lofty title for such a crass course of action.

Now, Naegi hardly considered himself a prude. He was like any high schooler, he had urges. And part of him did find Monokuma's suggestion tempting. Asahina was a knock-out by any definition. Oogami had a unique appeal all her own. And Celes' gothic vibe gave her an exotic flavor.

But none of that was really important, because Kirigiri was part of the equation. The phrase "she has a great personality" was no indictment to her looks. If anything, it helped to accentuate them. The cold, aloof attitude was beautifully coupled with an air of both mystery and elegance that was goddamn stunning in Naegi's mind.

And to think, she was in a state of undress less than 10 feet away from him.

But the possibility of getting caught was all too real. Oogami could easily crush him like a grape, but that was nothing compared to what Kirigiri could do. A single glare from her could destroy a person's soul. He'd seen it happen to both Kuwata and Oowada during the last two trials. Being on the receiving end of one of those was not something to be sought out.

Still, if he could see it, and get away with it...

No! It's no different from plotting a murder, right? Planning a crime and hoping to avoid the consequences? All for a completely selfish reward?

But her long, lavender hair. Soaked and falling freely down her back...

"So... what will you do?"

Monokuma's question hung in the air like the Sword of Damocles. Naegi was a better person than this. He had more respect for women. His mother had seen to that. The idea of peeping on someone he considered his friend. His beautiful, intelligent, irresistibly attractive friend who defended him when no one else had any faith in him...

"Okay, let's do it!"

Goddamn it, he was weak.


	3. Unexpected

As Hope's Peak Headmaster, Naegi was no stranger to receiving requests from the faculty. After all, any major changes in policy needed to go through him. But every now and then, he'd get a weird one. And if you were to ask him what his top three most unusual were, he'd respond with the following, in no particular order.

From Asahina, "Can donuts in the faculty break room be limited to every _other_ Friday?"

You could hear a pin drop afterward. Naegi was half-convinced that something horrible had happened to Asahina, and she'd been replaced with some kind of pod person. However, the explanation turned out to be rather simple.

"I always wind up eating all the extra ones, and there are always a lot of extras since everyone tries to be nice and leave me some, but it's starting to add up. I mean, I've got pretty solid metabolism, but I'm not getting any younger and I really need to do a better job watching my figure."

The idea of her needing to watch her figure seemed completely ridiculous to anyone, seeing as she had a physique most women would kill for, but it was understandable. The request went through without much protest, as many were simply happy for the now open slot for variety.

From Fukawa, "We need to expand the library to have a manga section."

Less egregious than Asahina's, given that the authoress's distaste for manga wasn't a cornerstone of her personality, but still odd. Again, the explanation cleared things up rather easily.

"Komaru keeps bugging me about it, and I guess it would inspire more students to visit the library. Of course, I'd have to review a lot of it, to make sure it's appropriate and all. Komaru could help, I guess."

At its core, it was a thinly-veiled excuse to have more to talk about with Komaru. Again, the request was passed, after a healthy donation from Komaru's personal collection. Said collection was amassed through time, dedication, and a surprisingly fruitful recovery effort through the ruins of Towa City.

But the last was the one that completely caught Naegi off-guard.

From his wife, "I'm going to need some time off."

Kyoko Naegi was a woman who was synonymous with "workaholic." The very idea she would need to take time off, and that she would ever admit to it was staggering.

"Did... did I hear that right?"

Kyoko nodded. "Yes. I'm going to need some time off. Not right away, but relatively soon."

Makoto was completely dumbfounded. "Umm... you've got plenty of vacation days stocked up, but..."

"Is there a problem?" Kyoko asked.

"You never take time off from work," Makoto noted. "You had the flu for almost two weeks and still came in to work every day. And brought home paperwork every night."

"I am aware," Kyoko reassured him, "And now I'm requesting some time off."

"But..." Makoto struggled to fathom this. "Why do you need time off?

"Maternity leave."

Her answer seemed to drain all the air from the room.

"You're..." the Headmaster barely said.

"Yes."

"And we're going to be..."

"Yes."

"So..."

"I'll be needing time off."

If you had asked what his top three favorite meetings were, that was number one with a bullet.


	4. Frozen

They would wake up.

They would eat three meals a day.

They would find something or someone to occupy their time.

They would go to bed.

That was the routine that Class 78 had established.

With the world outside falling to ruin, and very limited communication between the Headmaster and the Future Foundation, it seemed unlikely the routine would ever break. Headmaster Kirigiri would keep the children informed of any major developments, but they were few and far between.

Survival and desperation had quickly given way to tedium. Could this really be called living? To live is a verb. It implies action is being taken. But there was none. It was just the same basic cycle, day in and day out.

And yet, Naegi never seemed to see it that way. Nothing could shake the boy. Everyone in the school seemed to have their good and bad days, except for him. He never grew bored, and he never seemed to yearn for more from their limited lifestyle.

It baffled the others. They were certainly grateful for his upbeat demeanor, save one certain supermodel, but it made little sense. The secret of Naegi's cheeriness was a mystery for quite some time.

But that was why they had an Ultimate Detective.

"How do you do it?" she asked him.

"Do what?"

"Every day in this school is the same as the last. How do you keep it from getting to you?"

Naegi smiled again. "Because we're alive."

"And that's enough?"

"To me it is," he explained, "I have faith that the Future Foundation will save the world. And I believe we'll be able to help them one day. I know it doesn't seem like much, but carrying on is what we're doing for the sake of everyone else outside."

"That's quite the cross to bear," Kirigiri observed.

"I know it's hard, but we can do it, right? You're the Ultimates. Japan's best and brightest. And if someone like me can be strong at a time like this, there's nothing stopping you."

Naegi's words warmed Kirigiri's heart. "I really wish you'd stop selling yourself short. If anything, you're the strongest of us all."

"I doubt that," Naegi replied, embarrassed, "Optimism's just about the only thing I'm good for."

"But that's what we need right now," Kirigiri shot back, "We're capable of incredible things, but we need to keep in high spirits if we're going to actually make it happen."

Naegi smiled. "Whatever I can do to help."

Kirigiri smiled back. "Any plans for after we 'save the world'?"

"Find my family," Naegi answered, with no hesitation.

Kirigiri's mood dropped slightly. "Of course. I suppose that's only natural."

"And..."

"Hmm?"

"I'd like to introduce you to them. I mean, if you wanted," Naegi offered.

Kirigiri pondered this. "I think that would be nice."

With a clear image of the future in mind, Kirigiri's days stopped being a cycle, and instead became a countdown. They would move forward. No longer frozen in this single place.

It was just a matter of time.


	5. Heat

Hope's Peak Academy wasn't that different from any other building. It had many quirks of architecture, light switches that no one was sure what they were for, and there were certain unspoken rules about the 3rd floor plumbing.

As such, when the air conditioning went out on the hottest day of the year, it was hardly surprising.

Class 78 suffered through the grueling pain of their overheated school day before the last bell finally rang and they were able to seize control of the pool. The water's temperature control was separate from the main heating/cooling system of the school, thus allowing the water to reach a nice pleasing temperature and the full class was ready to take a dip.

However, there was one holdout.

"Aren't you going to come in, Kirigiri?"

Kirigiri seemed to have made a point of sitting by the pool rather than actually coming in, much to Naegi's confusion.

"I'm quite fine where I am, thank you."

"Are you sure? I mean, it's pretty hot today."

Kirigiri made a brief glance downward, as if in contemplation. "I suppose that a small swim couldn't hurt."

"That's the spirit!" Naegi replied.

The aquatic diversion was certainly what Class 78 needed to cool down, but eventually this came to a close, and the students returned to their dorms.

A short time later, Naegi was in his room, going over some notes for an upcoming quiz. However, his doorbell rang, prompting him to go speak to his visitor. Said visitor ended up being Kirigiri.

"I need your help with something."

"Sure. What is it?"

"Follow me."

Kirigiri led him back to her room, much to the brunette's embarrassment.

"Is something the matter?" she asked.

"Well, it's just..." Naegi responded sheepishly, "no girl's ever invited me into their room before."

The smallest hint of a blush came to Kirigiri's face as she countered with, "That is not my intention."

"I didn't think it was... I was just..."

Naegi found himself interrupted as Kirigiri lifted her hands up to his face. Her gloves were soaking wet.

"Your gloves?"

"They're stuck," she explained. "The water mixed with the heat has caused them to cling to my skin."

"I'm sorry," Naegi replied, "I should've thought of that before..."

"It's fine," the detective reassured, "I just need help getting them off."

Naegi's eyes went wide. "Are you sure? I mean, your gloves are..."

"I'm willing to trust you."

Naegi nodded and gripped her right hand glove. With a bit of effort, Naegi was able to remove the dampened cloth, prompting a small grunt of pain from Kirigiri.

"Are you okay?" Naegi asked.

"It's nothing, I..." she stopped. Naegi had closed his eyes just before the gloves came off. "I thought I told you I was willing to trust you."

"I know," Naegi said, "but I don't want you to feel like you have no choice but to trust me."

Naegi heard what sounded like a "tsk" followed by footsteps. A few more steps and it was followed with, "Open your eyes."

Naegi did so, hesitantly, and found Kirigiri was wearing two gloves again, though they did not match. "I have more than one pair," she explained, holding up her still-wet left hand.

Naegi found his grip, closed his eyes again, and repeated the process. And once again, Kirigiri prompted him to open his eyes.

"Thank you for your cooperation," she said.

Naegi nodded. "No problem. And I'm sorry again about not thinking of your gloves. I mean, sometimes I forget you're wearing them."

"I wish I had that luxury," Kirigiri muttered.

Naegi was then struck by a flash of inspiration. "Wait right here!" he exclaimed, as he rushed out of the room.

Kirigiri was left befuddled, until Naegi came running back, now adorned with a new accessory.

"Are you wearing mittens?"

Naegi lifted his hands up. "They were the only gloves I had," he replied.

"It's 100 degrees in the shade."

"I know, but if you have to wear gloves all the time, then I don't want you to feel like you have to do it alone."

"I don't technically have to," Kirigiri reminded him.

"And neither do I," he countered, "but I'll wear these every day if it makes you feel less self-conscious."

Kirigiri smirked. She extended her hand outward. "Deal."

Naegi shook her hand. "Deal."

It was a good minute or two before either of them realized they had yet to let go.


	6. Gift

It was mutually agreed upon by Class 78 that Makoto Naegi possessed a different Ultimate Talent than was listed in his student file. Not that Hope's Peak would have made note of such a skill, but had they done so, they may have needed to find someone else to serve as the class Luckster. What was that talent, you may ask?

Makoto Naegi was the Ultimate Gift Giver.

No one was quite sure how he did it. When asked, he never gave an answer that made perfect sense. He often chalked it up to his bizarre sense of luck and enough of an understanding of his classmates to be able to discern what they would like.

Yamada was the first to declare Naegi this, having received a rare copy of a Pudgy Princess Tankoban with an error that the publisher missed. The error had been caught so quickly that the second edition hit shelves in less than a week.

Naegi had bought it at a local bookstore, read it, decided it wasn't to his taste, and gave it to Yamada.

Then there was the time Naegi called in for a radio contest on a whim hoping to get tickets to a concert he was interested in. He was a runner-up and received a signed T-shirt from a different band he didn't care for. As luck would have it, it was Kuwata's favorite band, and he was more than happy to have it.

Most shocking of all was what he found for Togami. It was a vase that the brunette had found at a flea market, that he gave to Togami simply because it matched the color scheme of the heir's room.

Said vase was an antique worth millions of yen that the seller clearly had failed to notice the true value of. Naegi had paid about 300 yen by contrast.

In retrospect, he probably shouldn't have given that away.

However, there was a dark side to this talent of his. While he was brilliant about giving gifts, he was almost impossible to shop for.

Naegi's tastes changed from week-to-week. The boy was so fickle that his answer of favorite anything was usually "whatever's popular." Save curry rice as his favorite food, but that was not something you could just give as a gift.

Naturally, when that year's Secret Santa event rolled around, it was a topic of hot debate over who Naegi picked, and by extension, who had picked him.

Naegi kept quiet as to who he would be shopping for, as that was the whole point of 'Secret' Santa. The dedicated however, were able to determine that Kirigiri had gotten his name.

A sigh of relief went through the group, feeling that if anyone could figure out a proper gift, it would be the Ultimate Detective.

And though it was an arduous process, she felt like she had something solid.

The day of the gift exchange came, and Hagakure was playing the role of Santa, delivering the presents.

"Next is to Naegi-chi from Kirigiri-chi."

A hush fell over the room, as the group prepared for the big reveal. Naegi undid the wrapping paper, to find a box that contained a small note card.

Naegi began to read the card. "This coupon entitles you to take the Kirigiri Family Detective Course?"

The group turned to Kirigiri, hoping she would explain herself. Fortunately she did. "By turning in that coupon, I will teach you everything I know about being a detective. I must warn you, however, that it will be a long, grueling process. You will be required to spend a great deal of your free time with me alone, almost every day. If you prove yourself I may be inclined to bring you on field work, help you with an application to the Detective Library, and possibly bring you on as a full-time partner."

Naegi was awestruck by the implications. "Wow. I... I'll be sure to give it my best!"

It was a bit of a cop-out by the rest of the Class 78s' standards, but they respected Kirigiri's effort.

"Alright," Hagakure Claus continued, "time for the moment we've been waiting for!" He picked up another present, again fairly small. "From Naegi-chi, to... whoa, it's for Kirigiri-chi. Weird."

He handed the gift over to the detective, and she began to unwrap it. It was a picture in a frame. But the picture itself forced a sharp gasp from her.

"Do you like it?" Naegi asked.

"How... how did you...?" Kirigiri began.

"I had to go through a lot of people. Started by talking to your Dad and Mr. Kizakura, but I was able to get in touch with your Grandpa, and I convinced him to send over that picture," Naegi explained.

The picture showed a young Kirigiri being pushed on a swingset by her late mother.

"I thought you might like to have it with you," Naegi commented.

Kirigiri allowed her stone face to drop, in spite of being around so many people, and let the tears of joy begin to fall.

"Thank you."


	7. Tradition

The Kirigiri family was a family of detectives. But the Kirigiri family didn't really exist anymore.

The last person who could claim the title was now Kyoko Naegi, and she was more than happy to be a Naegi.

It was ironic. She had criticized her father for cutting ties with the Kirigiri family and tradition, and now she was no longer a detective. But that wasn't what mattered. What mattered was her new family. Makoto, and her son, Koichi.

She thought little of the family business, until Koichi was asked at a young age what he wanted to be when he grew up.

"I wanna catch bad guys like Mom and Dad used to do!"

Makoto and Kyoko had explained to their son about how they had helped bring the world back from the brink. Granted, they did not go into full detail, but the boy had a loose understanding of what had transpired. Naturally, this prompted a conversation.

"So, are you going to do it?"

"Do what?" Kyoko wondered.

"Train him. Teach him all your techniques," Makoto clarified.

"I don't want to force that on him. My commitment to being a detective ultimately destroyed my relationship with my father. I can't keep placing the blame solely on him, I recognize the part I played."

"You wouldn't be forcing it on him, he said he wants to do it."

"No," Kyoko responded, "he said he 'wants to catch bad guys'. Being a detective is not about justice or right and wrong. You know that."

"Of course. Like you told me, it's about truth. So tell me the truth."

"Truth about what?"

"Do you like the idea of passing on what you know?" Makoto asked. "You being a detective is part of who you are. Enoshima tried and failed to take it away from you."

Kyoko went quiet. "I'm scared."

"Scared of what?"

"That I'll do something to drive him away. I don't want my son to resent me."

Makoto took his wife's hand in his own. "I know you're worried about being a parent. Neither of us really know what we're doing. But I promise you, you're not going to drive him away. Back at Hope's Peak, you taught me a lot, too. And that helped me understand you. I'm here because of that time we spent together. We're both here because of that. Koichi exists because of that. If anything, you two will become closer."

Kyoko smiled. "You always know just what to say, don't you?"

"Well, I am an ESPer," he joked.

That earned him a playful smack to the back of the head.

The next day, Kyoko sat down with her son.

"Are you sure this is what you want?"

"Yeah! What you and Dad did sounds so cool! I want to help people too!" Koichi exclaimed.

"It won't always be easy. The smallest things can cost you far too much," Kyoko warned.

"Like what happened to your hands?"

Kyoko glanced down to her uncovered hands. She had grown used to not wearing her gloves at home. "Yes."

Koichi held firm. "I'll be okay. I've got Dad's luck, too."

"That's not exactly reassuring," Kyoko deadpanned.

"Yeah, I know," Koichi chuckled. "But I can do it. I can be a super-cool detective just like you guys were."

"And you're prepared to face the dangers?"

"I'll never know 'til I try."

Kyoko smirked. "You are your father's son. We'll start tomorrow."

The Naegi family was a family of detectives. And Koichi was proud to be part of that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so ends Naegiri Week. Thank you for joining me in celebrating.


End file.
